Filipino nurse in UAE makes shortlist for $250,000 prize for efforts during pandemic

A Filipino who started a wellness programme in the UAE to bolster the resilience of the workforce during the Covid-19 pandemic has made the shortlist for a global award. Nelson Bautista, 49, who works in Al Ain and led a team to establish the Your Health First scheme to support the well-being of frontline nurses in the UAE , is one of ten people from more than 78,000 entries representing at least 200 countries to compete for the Aster Guardian Global Nursing Award. A $250,000 (Dh981,500) prize is up for grabs for the winner who will be announced at a ceremony in India in December. A father of a 16-year-old boy, Mr Bautista, who works as a clinical resource nurse at Tawam Hospital in Al Ain , said a friend had asked him to apply for the award last year and he was thrilled to find out he is one step closer to the final ceremony. “I was happy when I read the email that I was in the shortlist,” Mr Bautista told The National . "It is an honour. I’m proud because I’m representing UAE and also the Filipino community ." His nomination came after a long career as a nurse in the UAE. In 2019, he led a team for an initiative to support the well-being of nurses before Covid-19 unfolded. "We implemented the programmes in different hospitals and it is still running now. We wanted to make the nurses more resilient," Mr Bautista said. It involved simple activities such as distributing healthy sandwiches and juice to the nurses because they could not leave the rooms in which they were working. “I remember one nurse began crying because she was touched by this gesture," he said. "It was a difficult time for everybody and such small gestures raise their spirits." He has been actively engaged in several campaigns aimed at elevating the standard of nursing education and refining methodology. “I lead the digital transformation in nursing education,” he said. "We started digitising the nursing orientation project, to streamline and expedite the onboarding process for new nurses." Graduating from a nursing college in his home country, Mr Bautista said his parents had initially not wanted him to become a nurse. "My parents at first opposed the idea but nursing was something that appealed to me," he said. "I always wanted to help others and nursing is something I wanted to do." He was a working student but was able to graduate and worked for two years in the Philippines before moving to Saudi Arabia where he worked for seven years. "I moved to the UAE and worked as a bedside nurse in the hospital before becoming a nurse educator," he added. "It’s been 16 years with the same hospital. He said it was important to have compassion and dedication to become a nurse. “The nursing profession is a highly stressful one. We have to be patient with others and understand their situation. Helping others is the core of being a nurse. You must have the spirit of services to others.” Mr Bautista was granted the UAE’s golden visa for his efforts as a frontline worker during the Covid-19 crisis. Dr Azad Moopen, founder chairman of Aster DM Healthcare, said the award was launched to honour the unsung heroes of health care globally and encourage more people to enter the profession. “Each and every one of these nurses has showcased excellence – going above and beyond their duties for the well-being of patients and the community,” Dr Moopen said. "We want to celebrate and reward the remarkable contributions of nurses and establish them as role models." The nine other finalists vying for the award are: Archimedes Motari from Kenya; Johnsy Inni from Papua New Guinea; Laarni Conlu Florencio from the US; Lilian Nuwabaine from Uganda; Nilima Pradeepkumar Rane from India; Maria Victoria Juan from the Philippines; Martin Schiavenato from the US; Hoi Shu Yin from Singapore; and Sylvia May Hampton from England.

Filipino nurse in UAE makes shortlist for $250,000 prize for efforts during pandemic

Al Ain nurse Nelson Bautista helped pioneer a wellness programme for nurses working on the front line during Covid-19